Five Years of Forever
by Vampire00Diaries
Summary: Sequel to "Damon and Elena: Forgotten Memories"...It's been five years since Damon and Elena defeated Klaus and Stefan left Mystic Falls. Their lives have been perfect, but soon they have to face a new enemy. Rated T for mild language and kissing
1. Part 1

Damon and Elena: Five Years

Summary: (Sequel to Damon and Elena: Forgotten Memories) It's been five years since Damon and Elena defeated Klaus, and Stefan left Mystic Falls. Elena's life has been absolutely wonderful with Damon, but everything changes drastically when Stefan returns. Meanwhile, Elena is learning that she is more special than she could have ever dreamed of, after meeting with a woman named Yasmine, who vows to protect and help Elena with her newfound abilities.

But is Yasmine worthy of Elena's trust?

**Prologue: **

(From where we left off in Forgotten Memories)

Elena Gilbert was still sitting with Damon in Stefan's old room, his arms locked tightly around her.

It had been a few hours since Stefan had left them here. He told her that he needed time alone, to figure out what to do about his addiction to human blood. Elena didn't care anymore about what Stefan had said to her. She just wanted to stay with Damon like this, forever.

Elena drowsily turned around to look at Damon, who was still stroking her hair. She needed to see his face to know she _wasn't _in a dream. She still couldn't believe she had someone as perfect as Damon holding her. But there he was, looking at her with those big, blue eyes that always made her forget what she was thinking.

She took a quick look at the clock: 11:45 pm. Her eyes grew wide with shock. "We've been sitting here for over two hours?"

Elena could feel Damon nod behind her, as he put his lips at the top of her forehead. "Guess so," he muttered.

"I have to get home," she stated, looking into Damon's fathomless eyes. "Jenna's going to kill me if I break curfew."

Damon looked upset, but hid it with his usual smirk. "You're the only teenager I've met who actually cares about breaking curfew."

Then Elena's face turned serious, and very sad as she said, "I have to tell Jenna about Jeremy."

Damon nodded. "You're right."

Elena decided to brighten the mood by giving him her fake smile, the one that always made him laugh. The first time they were a couple, Damon told her she looked like an awkward little kid on picture day.

Damon grinned at her. "Alright," he sighed, placing both of his hands on the side of her face. "Good night, Elena."

"Night," she said, before kissing him. It was a long, passionate yet gentle, kiss. She loved Damon's kisses. Stefan's were nothing compared to his.

Elena pulled away far too early, and just looked into Damon's eyes. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure," he said, giving her one more peck on the lips. Elena then stood up, but as soon as she did, she felt a bit lightheaded. She was losing her balance.

Within seconds, Damon's arm was around her waist. Elena looked confused. "Don't worry," he assured her. "It's just Klaus's blood in your system. You'll be fine by tomorrow."

When Damon let go, Elena walked to her car, with renewed energy. She waved at him as she drove off.

Elena drove halfway home feeling fine, when suddenly, she felt another wave of lightheadedness. She reached for her head, and lost control of the wheel, the car swerving off of the road. She tried to put her hands back on the steering wheel, but she didn't have the strength. When the car broke through the guard rail, it flipped over, causing Elena to smash her head into the windshield. Then all was still.

And Elena felt nothing but a never ending blackness.

...

Elena woke up in the boarding house. She looked outside; the sun was shining bright, but the curtains were closed. And everything hurt, especially her teeth. Everything bothered her eyes, yet her vision was absolutely flawless. And she was _hungry _for something, but she didn't know what.

"Hey," a voice whispered in her ear. She turned around to look at Damon's solemn face.

"Damon," she said. "What happened?"

He looked down at her face, his expression flat. "You died."

**Chapter 1**

**(5 years later)**

Elena woke up, Damon's arms wrapped securely around her. She turned around to look at his gorgeous face. He was always so beautiful when he was asleep. Damon looked _vulnerable, _nothing hiding on his face. She always joked with Damon, that when he smiled in his dreams, he smiled in his sleep.

Elena lifted her hand and began outlining the side of Damon's face. She started by outlining the curve of his eyebrow, until she reached the top of his lip. When she did, she felt a nip at her fingers. Damon had bitten her!

"Instincts," he muttered, half asleep.

"Good morning, Damon," she whispered, running her hands through his disheveled hair.

"Mrnn," he mumbled, closing his eyes again.

"Sorry I woke you," she said, although she knew Damon did not hear it. He was resting soundlessly again. She kissed his forehead before walking down to the kitchen. Elena was hungry.

Elena took slow steps down the stairs, examining their modern home. They had purchased it a few months ago, but she was still trying to figure out her way around the large place. She had to admit; it was fun living in California. After all, they couldn't stay in Mystic Falls forever.

Once Elena reached the kitchen, she opened the fridge, grabbing the first blood bag in sight. She extended her fangs, letting out a big sigh before ripping the bag open, draining it completely dry.

"Taking a break from the bunnies today?" Elena heard behind her. She turned around to face Damon, who was smirking wildly. She rolled her eyes at him.

"You know my diet isn't strictly animal blood, Damon," she pointed out, but couldn't help smiling at him.

"I'm glad to see you're actually awake," she giggled, putting the empty bag away.

Damon flashed her his usual cocky smile. "Even _I _need my beauty sleep," he said.

"You sound like a pageant girl," she noted, walking up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, giving him a long, passionate kiss. She felt Damon's fingers go through her hair, and she shuddered. He chuckled against her lips in pure pleasure. Only _he _could make her tremble like that.

After a while, they both pulled away, staring into each other's eyes for what seemed like hours. "Do you know what day it is?" he asked her, Elena feeling Damon's breath on her lips.

She groaned. "Yes. It's been five years since I became a vampire," she sighed.

"No," Damon corrected. "It's been five years since the beginning of forever."

Elena nodded, leaning in to kiss him one more time. "That, too," she said, grinning.

…

Stefan watched as the golden sun fell into the horizon. He always enjoyed watching the sunset on the beaches of Jamaica. They relaxed his every nerve, and somehow, made him forget about the never ending bloodlust he faced every day.

Soon, the moon was shining over his head. It was time to hunt. Stefan stepped off of the shore, heading for the closest hotel in sight. It wasn't too hard to find one; the city he was in was a major tourist trap.

Stefan walked through the entrance of the grand hotel, ignoring the worker's "Welcome to The May Point Hotel". He made his way to the pool, facing multiple beautiful girls who were sitting alone, relaxing on the hotel's cheap poolside chairs.

He made his way to the most beautiful girl, with long brown hair and brown eyes. He walked up to her, and as soon as he sat on the edge of her chair he could hear the girl's heart beating out of her chest. He smirked as he grabbed her shaking hand.

"Hello," he said to her, kissing her hand. "What's your name?"

"Lauren," she replied, lost in his teal eyes.

Within moments, Stefan had taken the girl around a corner, into an alley between the buildings. He looked deep into her big eyes, and said, "You will not remember what happened to you tonight. You were resting at the pool. That's all you remember."

"That's all I remember," the girl repeated.

The dazed girl leaned in to kiss Stefan, but he went straight to her neck, biting it, drawing blood. He enjoyed drinking from this girl. She reminded him of Elena, his old girlfriend. This girl had the same hair, but her eyes were different, and her face wasn't as beautiful. But he enjoyed taking blood from a girl that reminded him of Elena.

Stefan pulled away from the girl, putting his hand over the wound. "You will go back to your room now," he commanded, compelling her. She followed his instructions, and disappeared.

Stefan backed up to the hard wall of the hotel. He let his head hit the wall, too. That girl had really gotten to him for a reason. She was a lot like Elena, his sweet, sweet Elena. He thought about his old love occasionally, and now was his time to do it again.

He wondered what Elena would think of his new lifestyle. He had changed a lot in the past five years. He wasn't the same person at all. The human blood had _altered _his personality completely, and he knew it. Stefan didn't care. He didn't care about _anything _as long as he could have the blood. Elena was the one and only exception.

He always thought about her. He hadn't seen her for five years. She would be twenty two now, probably engaged to some human. He guessed that she wasn't with Damon anymore. His brother was too much of a jerk to keep that girl.

Stefan was going to come back for Elena. That, he was certain of.

**Chapter 2**

"Stop it!" Elena squealed. They were sitting on their white leather couch, Damon tickling her. "Stop it, Damon! I mean it," she managed to get out through her laughter.

"Why?" he said slyly, moving his hands to her waist, pushing his fingers right where her body curved. She screamed joyfully at the tickling pain.

After a while, Damon had to pause for a moment, Elena using his weakness to her advantage. "Alright, you're asking for it," she said, pinning him to the couch. Damon chuckled, then gave her his usual smirk when she extended her fangs.

Damon tried to break free of her grip, but her hands were not going to move from his wrists. How strange. He was older than her, he should have been stronger. But Damon shook off the thought. Elena was his other half, so it would make sense that they were equally strong.

"Go ahead, bite, my little demon," he said, challenging her. Then Elena moved her face closer to his, grinning wildly. The dark veins around her eyes had disappeared, and her eye color turned back to the chocolaty brown that he loved.

"I don't need to," she whispered, giggling. "Because you stopped."

Elena then let go of Damon's arms, sitting up, bringing him with her. Damon laughed. "You're a manipulative little thing," he joked, grinning. "I like it when you drink human blood… you're… _feisty._"

Elena snickered for a moment, rolling her eyes. She felt Damon wrap his arms around her waist. She cuddled into his shoulder instinctively. "Well _excuse _me for wanting to keep _some _humanity by feeding on an animal occasionally." Elena's feeding habit was simple: half animal blood, half human blood, from a bag, of course. She alternated daily, and Damon always bothered her, joking that she was more fun on the days she fed off human blood.

"You have the strangest view of life," Damon told her. "Why kill a squirrel when you can simply take blood from a blood bank, without killing anyone?" And that was _his _diet nowadays: blood bags. Fresh blood was rare for him to feed off of. He had to admit, Elena was rubbing off on him. She had convinced him to stop killing people.

Elena rolled her eyes, turning her head to face him. "It's so obvious that you haven't been a human for almost two hundred years."

"Two hundred?" he chuckled. "Man, I'm getting old. Wait, that's not possible…"

Elena laughed, lifting her hand up to the side of Damon's face. She ran her finger along the side of his face, marveling his perfect features, the features that hadn't changed since 1864. Damon did the same, holding her face, the face beautiful that would forever stay seventeen.

Suddenly, the couple was taken out of their pleasant moment by a ring of the doorbell.

Elena stood up, and opened the door, Damon behind her. When she looked at the person standing there, it was a girl, no older than nineteen, looking at them with a strange shock and recognition.

"Damon Salvatore?" she questioned, eyeing him intently with her large, hazel orbs.

"Yes…" he said, confused. He wasn't the only one.

The girl grew more awestruck when her eyes fell upon Elena. "Then you must be…"

"Elena Gilbert," she replied with a grin.

"I'm sorry. We're not really interested in buying anything," Damon interjected from behind. Elena nodded in agreement, beginning to turn around.

"Wait," the girl said, pushing her straight black hair behind her ears. "I'm a vampire. My name is Yasmine.

Damon and Elena exchanged concerned glances. "Then why should we trust you?" Damon asked, standing in front of Elena. He wasn't taking any risks with Yasmine. There was something _strange _about her.

"Because I've been told to send you a message," she replied.

"From who?" Elena asked, rubbing Damon's shoulder, causing them to become less tense for a moment.

"Klaus."

Elena and Damon froze.

"Klaus is dead," Damon pointed out angrily.

"I know that. I wasn't actually sent by Klaus, but it's my duty to tell you this," Yasmine replied, then shifting her gaze to Elena. "You were the last vampire he turned, right?"

Elena exchanged glances with Damon, before facing the peculiar girl once again. "Yes, I suppose I was," she confirmed. Elena hadn't really thought about that.

Yasmine nodded, as if Elena's words had answered her every question. "You were the last vampire created by _the _original. Do you know what this means?"

"No…" Elena and Damon both said at the same time.

Yasmine looked at both of them, and after taking a deep breath, said, "You need to come outside. I have a lot to explain."

_**Hmmm… what do you think? Please comment/review! Who is Yasmine? What does she want? What is Elena? Sorry for the cliffhanger!**_


	2. Part 2

**Chapter 3**

Stefan walked through the empty streets of Mystic Falls. It felt _hollow _to him. It was so different now. Boring.

_Probably because I haven't been here, _he thought, boosting his large ego.

He kept walking, examining the fine architecture of the small town. Then he reached Elena's street, and froze.

Last time he was in Elena's house, he was holding the lifeless body of Jeremy, Elena's younger brother. He hoped that she would have forgiven him for that. He eagerly approached the door, figuring she'd be happier if he knocked, if she even still lived there. He guessed that Jenna was there; living with Alaric, while his precious Elena was at college.

After one knock, a middle aged woman with a sweet smile opened the door. "Hello," she said. Stefan didn't know who she was.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice the tone of a question. "Do you know if Elena is home?"

"I'm sorry. I don't know anyone named Elena," she replied, confused.

"Her name is Elena Gilbert. She lived here a few years ago."

The woman's face went white. "Elena Gilbert?"

"Yes, that is her name," Stefan confirmed.

"Oh my," she said, stepping aside. "Please, dear, come in."

Stefan was baffled, but he stepped in the house, taking a seat on the woman's old couch. The woman entered the living room solemnly, carrying two mugs. "Coffee?" she asked.

Stefan shook his head. He was thirsty for something else. "I'm sorry, ma'am. Do you know Elena? I just wanted to say hello…"

The lady nodded sadly, a gesture saying, _poor boy, _looking at him with grey eyes. "She died, my dear."

Stefan froze. "What do you mean, she…died? When did this happen?" He was devastated.

"Five summers ago, if I remember correctly. I'm sorry to be the one telling you this. I can see you cared for her," she told him, placing a bony hand on his. "I lived on Elk street when it happened."

"What happened exactly?" Stefan asked her, burying his face in his hand.

"Car accident. It was all over the news. The vehicle flipped over the guard rail… very tragic."

"Wait… that killed her?" Stefan said, trying to hold back tears.

"I believe so. If I remember correctly, she smashed her head into the windshield. They found her car the next morning, along with the blood, and her ID."

"Oh," Stefan said, overtaken by grief. Five years ago? In the summer? Did Elena die because of him? "Do you know where the body is? I should visit her."

"No," she replied. "The body was missing when they got to the sight. Hasn't been found."

Stefan sighed, trying his best to stay calm. "I'm sorry, dear, that you had to find out this way."

"You're _sorry? _That's not going to bring her back!" he snapped, getting into the woman's face. She was stricken with fear. He looked into her eyes, compelling her. "You will not remember having this conversation. You don't know who I am. If you mention this little _exchange _to anyone, I will kill you."

And with that, he was out of the house, gripping for his head helplessly. Elena was _dead_! Where was Damon? Did he know this? Stefan had _so _many questions, questions he couldn't get the answers to.

Hopelessly, he called his brother, only getting the voicemail.

_"Hi, this is Damon. Leave a message, and please make it worth my time."_

Stefan stopped at that moment. He could have sworn that he heard a muffled sound come from behind Damon's voice on the recording; a _girl's _voice.

He called Damon's phone again, this time paying close attention to the voice behind Damon's. While his brother was talking, Stefan recognized the girl was laughing, a familiar laugh. And then he heard it.

_"That was cute!" _Yup. Definitely a girl's voice, and it was a voice that he could recognize from a mile away. That was _Elena's _voice. She was alive, and, as much as Stefan hated to think it, she was with Damon.

_That will change,_ Stefan thought menacingly. _She will be mine. I'll find them, and win her heart back. I swear._

**Chapter 4**

Elena, Damon, and Yasmine were strolling through the couple's huge backyard.

"What's this all about?" Damon asked Yasmine bitterly.

"Her," she replied, looking at Elena's gentle, yet strong face. "She needs help, and I can assist her."

Damon was getting angry. Elena didn't need _any _help with _anything. _He wrapped his arms around his love protectively, Elena cuddling into them.

"You do know that she's right here. You don't have to talk about her like she's not listening to every word you're saying."

"We're escaping the subject, Damon." And then Yasmine turned her attention over to Elena. "You are strong. Stronger than any vampire who's walked this earth. Well, you _will _be if you decide to go through with my help, Miss Gilbert."

"What do you mean? I'm not following?" That was Elena, who looked baffled and awestruck.

"You were the last vampire that Klaus turned," Yasmine repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time. "His blood burns through your veins. Not only that, but you have the strength of every person he's ever killed. You are the final vampire in the Klaus…clan…. if you will."

"Isn't the first vampire he turned strongest once he dies?" Damon asked, amused.

"Katherine died before him. Remember?" Yasmine asked. Damon and Elena were both shocked. They didn't know that Katherine was the second vampire ever created.

"No one knows how it really works," Yasmine continued. "All you should know is that you're very powerful and I can help you contain that."

"We don't need your help!" Damon snapped. He had a bad feeling about Yasmine, a horrible feeling…

"Damon, please," Elena said, caressing his arm as she turned to the dark haired girl. She had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, too. She just figured it was from watching Damon's uneasiness. "What exactly would we work on?"

Yasmine perked up. "Compulsion, fighting, resisting compulsion… a lot."

"Thank you, but no!" Damon said, grabbing Elena's arm, leading them away. She jerked out of his grip, looking at him.

"What's the harm of trying it?" she asked him, moving her face close to his. "Afraid I'll be stronger than you?"

Damon smirked. "You'll never beat me at a fight."

"We'll see," Elena chuckled, removing Damon's doubts.

She turned back to Yasmine. "I'll do it."

….

Stefan ended up somewhere in Washington. He didn't really have a destination, as long as he could find Elena. So far, he had no luck. And he was getting _mad_, showing no mercy, for he killed every girl he fed off of, and every man who reminded him of Damon.

He was getting hopeless, and dialed Elena's old phone number. It was disconnected, of course. So, as much as he hated to do it, Stefan called his brother.

This time, Damon actually picked up. "Whaaaaaat?" he asked, his voice low. He heard a girl giggling from behind. Elena. He heard the laughter become more distant as Damon walked away. Oh, how it irked Stefan that his brother was with her!

"Damon, I'm going to _kill _you!" Stefan shouted, without the proper greeting.

"Well, Stefan, it's nice to talk to you too after all these years," Damon commented sarcastically.

"Where are you? I swear, when I find you, I'm going to rip your throat out!"

"Good luck with that. Why so mad, St. Stefan?" he asked, laughing.

"Get your hands off of Elena!"

Damon didn't reply. After a while, he said, "Why do you care about my relationship with Elena? You left her."

"Shut up, Damon! Just stay away from her, or I promise you, I will kill you. And it will be a slow and painful death."

Damon sighed on the other end. "I'm glad to see that you haven't changed in the past five years, brother."

"I'm disappointed to see that you _have,_" Stefan said angrily, as Damon hung up.

**Chapter 5**

Damon walked around the corner of their home, seeing Elena sitting alone by the fountain, deep in thought.

"Where's Yasmine?" he asked Elena, sitting next to her.

"She's coming by tomorrow," she replied as Damon pulled her onto his lap. "Who called?"

"Oh," Damon said, lifting his hand to stroke her hair. "It's not important. I don't want to spoil the mood."

Elena looked at him, confused, and said, "I don't care about 'spoiling the mood'. Who called?" she asked again, giggling.

Damon's face became indifferent. "Stefan," he answered. Elena went cold.

"Stefan called?" She wanted to confirm it. She had no desire to even _think _about Stefan nowadays, yet she couldn't help wondering about him one in a while. "What did he say?"

"He told me to keep my hands off of you," Damon said, giving her his wry smile. He wrapped his arms around Elena's waist possessively, and she sighed in pure bliss. "That's not going to happen," he whispered in her ear.

Elena laughed. "Guess not… What else happened?"

"He's bitter. That's for sure. He's less broody, more… _irritable._" Elena turned around to look at his face, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Well," she started. "You found him irritable before, so that doesn't say much." Elena was joking with Damon. She had to admit; she _loved _pushing his buttons, and he didn't mind.

"Whatever," he mumbled, losing half of the word as he brushed his lips with Elena's, turning it into a long kiss. She lifted her hands, placing them on the side of his face. After five years, she never grew tired of Damon. He always kept her entertained, even if it was with the simplest of lip locks. She _loved _him. With her life. And he _loved _her. Yes, Damon Salvatore was actually capable of love. It shocked her too at first.

Elena had first met Damon when she was young and careless, only sixteen. He had found a way into her soul, and she had worked her way into his. Nothing could tear them apart. She was young and in love, feeling invincible. But everything fell apart when her parents died.

Elena became depressed once she lost her mom and dad, and she had forced Damon to leave her. And so he did, but he compelled her to forget him… until the time was right.

And now, here they were, years later, together and never happier.

Damon wrapped his arms around Elena's waist. He was glad they didn't need oxygen. Just pulling away from Elena would have broken him at this point. Elena lifted her hands from his face to his hair, ruffling it. She knew that was his weakness.

Damon fell back a little bit, and for the first time in a long time, he felt uncoordinated. He had completely forgotten that they were sitting on the edge of a fountain, and he fell over, splashing into the water, bringing Elena with him.

Elena shouted when she fell into the cool water. She pushed Damon's chest playfully, as the spraying water above showered them. It was as if they were in their own little world, surrounded by crystal clear walls.

"Smoooooth," she said to him, laughing. She moved her hand back, and splashed Damon, soaking his perfect hair.

"Hey!" he chuckled, shaking his head like a dog.

"Don't get mad at me," she joked. "You're the klutz who fell in the fountain!"

"Well, _you _distracted me," he smirked. Elena chortled happily and grabbed Damon's hands, pulling him up out of the fountain. They were soaked, and got a huge kick out of seeing each other dripping wet.

Elena grinned. She couldn't be happier with anyone else. Like Damon told her years ago: They were a perfect team. Elena and Damon. Damon and Elena. Lovers and best friends.

"Let me just say," Damon told her, bringing Elena out of her admiration and into his arms. "I love your hair when it's wet. It gets all curly." He brought his hand up to her hair, twirling it with his fingers. She smiled at him.

"You look good too," she said, pretending to be bored. "As usual."

Damon grinned. He felt like the luckiest person alive, or in his case, dead.

…

As Elena and Damon enjoyed themselves, Stefan approached a sign, saying, "Welcome to Beverly Hills". After his phone call with Damon, he had a strange feeling that the couple was here, so he rushed there without a second to waste. And now he was _positive. _He could _feel _them, and more importantly, he could feel Elena's presence. He was ready to win her back. No, _steal _her back.

...

_**Sooo…what do you think? How will Damon and Elena react to Stefan? And what do you think about Elena's strengths? Please comment/review!**_


	3. Part 3

**Chapter 6**

Yasmine approached her temporary apartment, on her cell phone. "Yes, Gabriel. I found her. Her name is Elena Gilbert. She was turned five years ago."

"Find her weaknesses. Find her strengths."

"I know. You've only been telling me that for the past _month,_" she chuckled, putting the key through the door. "It's obvious that she's _the one_. I didn't see any lapis lazuli on her in broad daylight."

"Strange…" he said. "Even Klaus needed lapis. Noted."

"You don't think she's stronger than Klaus, do you?" Yasmine asked, sitting on her couch, propping her feet up on the coffee table.

"I'm not sure. It's a possibility. Imagine all of the people he killed and changed, all the power he received from that blood, built up just for the power of his final vampire," Gabriel explained.

"Well, why does the _final _vampire get all of the power? Shouldn't it be distributed equally throughout all the vamps he turned?"

"Doesn't work that way, sweetheart," he said. "Just keep her under control for now. It's _Klaus's _power we're talking about here. Who knows what she can do? Who knows what she will become?"

"'Kay," Yasmine agreed, hanging up.

…..

Elena and Damon were sitting on the beach –behind their yard, of course- enjoying the sunset, if someone could call kissing for hours and paying absolutely no attention to the sun in the horizon, enjoyment of the sunset.

They definitely could.

Elena's hands were gripping Damon's shoulders, as his lips trailed against her neck. She could feel his fangs against her skin, and pushed the back of his neck, urging him to bite.

So, he did. Elena's eyes popped open. He was quick, just taking a little. She grabbed his hair, pulling at it. The pain felt _good. _It was something no one could describe, having their blood drawn by the one they love.

Slowly, Damon pulled away, looking into Elena's brown eyes. It was _her _turn. She quickly gave him a knowing smirk and bit deep, hearing Damon scream her name. Yes, it stung at first, but now, their minds were one, connected. They could _feel _each other's emotions.

After a while, Elena pulled away, bringing her blood stained lips back to his. Damon entwined his hands with hers as their kiss deepened. "God, I love you," he moaned against her lips, grinning.

Elena chuckled. "I love _you._"

Then, a familiar voice tore the couple out of their blissful moment. "Is this how you spend all of your sunsets?"

Stefan was standing in the dunes, walking closer to them angrily.

Elena froze, and her heart fell. "Stefan…." she said, shocked.

"Because if it is, I would _love _to take your place, Damon," he continued with a grimace.

Elena and Damon stood up, staring at the other Salvatore in utter shock. He was so _different _now. Even his face had an evil glare to it.

This was the real Stefan, the Stefan he should have been from day one of vampirism.

"Stefan," Elena said, walking close to him, brows furrowed. "What happened to you?"

"I've found happiness," he told her, making a gesture of his hands over his perfect body.

Elena was getting annoyed with him, and walked back over to Damon. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Stefan was enraged by that move.

"I'm sorry Stefan," Damon said, still angry about having his moment with Elena shattered. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here for Elena," he replied, grinning devilishly.

"I'm sorry, Stefan…" Elena trailed off. "What we had is in the past."

"You'll see," Stefan said, attempting to charm her. He had no luck. Elena was actually feeling _disgusted _towards her old boyfriend. She was upset with him. He had given in to the blood. He gave up, and now he was nothing but a sick, modernized version of Dracula.

"We'll talk tomorrow," Damon said to his brother, leading Elena away with him, leaving Stefan on the beach alone. "Let's get home."

Elena was pained by seeing what Stefan had become, and Damon could tell. Her face was indifferent, and her back was hunched. As they walked back inside, he placed cool lips on her forehead. "Everything's going to be fine, okay?" he whispered.

"He's just so _different. _It hurts to see him like that."

"I know, Elena. I know."

**Chapter 7 **

_**(Disclaimer: I do not own the song, "To make you feel my love" by Adele.)**_

night, Damon was sitting on their couch, his palms pressed against his forehead. The television was turned on, but he wasn't watching.

Elena walked down their winding staircase, noticing Damon deep in thought. She was wearing a long t-shirt that said, _"I bite". _The shirt ended a few inches before her tiny red shorts did. She grabbed a glass, filled it with blood, and walked over to Damon, taking a seat next to his still figure.

She lifted her hand, and placed it on Damon's forearm, rubbing it gently. "Did Stefan get to you, too?"

"Sort of," Damon sighed, tightening his clenched fists. Elena took her hand from Damon's arm, to _his _hand that was still clenched.

"You don't have to feel bad about his choices…" She told him, although she was doing the exact same thing.

"Nah, it's not that," Damon said, accepting the glass Elena was offering him after she took a sip. He took a big gulp, and finally put his hands down, and looked at her.

"Then, what's wrong?"

"I've just been thinking…that's all."

"About what?"

Damon sighed again, his face vulnerable. "If Stefan hadn't left you in the first place, would you still be sitting here with me?"

Elena's eyes popped open. She loved Damon; he knew that. "Damon, don't doubt my feelings for you…"

"Was I your second choice?"

"No! Absolutely not. Look at me, Damon." She held his face in between her palms, turning Damon's head so that he was facing her. "Look at me!"

"Before I met with Klaus, who did I say goodbye to? Who did I kiss goodbye? Who did I say I loved you to that night?" she asked him, her eyes fearful. "I didn't tell those things to Stefan. I told _you._"

Damon nodded, understanding Elena's point.

"Who spent her time cleaning off your back when you got into a fight with your brother? Who—"

Elena was cut off by the sudden feel of his lips pressed against hers. It was a short kiss, only about six seconds, but it was enough to spin Elena's mind and heart into overdrive.

When they both pulled away, Damon said, "I just don't want to lose you. And I know he wants you back."

"You won't lose me, Damon." Then Elena's eyes perked up when she found a way to lighten the mood. "Are you _jealous?"_

"I have every right to be!" he chuckled, holding her against him, when he noticed her outfit. "Are you _trying _to expose us?" he joked.

"I don't know," she giggled. "I felt _vampy _tonight." That was all she could think of saying. She was still a little shaken up over Stefan's appearance, as was Damon.

"It's cute," he said to her. "You can make anything look beautiful, even if you're just wearing pajamas."

"Look who's talking!" she said, beaming, looking at Damon, who was wearing nothing but a pair of black sweatpants and a gray muscle shirt. Then she turned her attention to the television. "Since when did you watch MTV?"

"Is that what this is?" he joked, embarrassed, as a music video started playing. It was _"To Make you Feel my Love," _by Adele.

"I _love _this song!" she exclaimed.

"Well," Damon said, his eyes shining, as if he were up to something. He stood up, outstretching his hand. "Would you like to dance?"

"Why not," she said, with a huge grin, as she stood from the couch, wrapping her arms around Damon's neck, while he wrapped his around her waist.

"_When the rain is blowing in your face_

_And the whole world is on your case_

_I could offer you a warm embrace_

_To make you feel my love._

_When evening shadows and the stars appear_

_And there is no one there to dry your tears_

_I could hold you for a million years_

_To make you feel my love."_

Damon pulled Elena closer to him, stroking her long brown hair. Elena flushed a little bit, and whispered in Damon's ear, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize how cheesy this song was…"

He put a finger to her lips. "It's great to dance to."

Elena loved this side of Damon. As sarcastic as he was sometimes, he could be very sweet and romantic.

"_I've known it from the moment that we met_

_There's no doubt in my mind where you belong._

_I'd go hungry _

_I'd go black and blue_

_I'd go crawling down the avenue_

_There aint nothing that I wouldn't do_

_To make you feel my love."_

She smiled at Damon, a true, loving, smile. Nothing would ever tear them apart. And now, they were both sure of it.

Just then, a knock on the door took them out of their wonderful moment. Elena opened it, and Stefan was standing there.

"I was going to stay at a hotel," Stefan said, with a twisted grin. "But I decided I'd rather stay with you guys. Do you mind if I come in?"

**Chapter 8 **

Elena woke up the next morning to Damon's pillow being thrown at her. "Hey," she said groggily, trying to clear the drowsy haze that filled her mind.

"Mornin'" Damon said, laughing. "I thought you'd never wake up." He hopped back on the bed, resting on his side to look at her.

"Yeah, and the pillow to my head definitely wasn't going to wake me," she said sarcastically. "What was that for?"

"Well…" Damon said. "One: I had to make sure you weren't dead," he joked. Elena laughed. She had to admit, waking up to Damon's pillow in her face wasn't the worst way to start the day. When she was with him, she felt youthful, like she was seventeen forever, body and soul.

"Too late for that," Elena commented, becoming more awake, as she squeezed the pillow. It smelled like Damon, who reminded her of forests and waterfalls.

"Two: We've got a meeting with Yasmine, remember? I know you'd strangle me if I let you miss that."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Is Stefan coming?"

"You mean 'is our nuisance of a houseguest coming'? Not sure."

Elena shook her head, smirking. She wasn't exactly sure how Stefan had convinced them to let him in. After about ten minutes of his complaining, Elena let Stefan through their doors.

"Do you know how long he's going to be here?" she asked, putting on a pair of socks.

"Hopefully not long," Damon answered, annoyance flowing through his voice. "I'll meet you downstairs, okay?"

"K," she agreed. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading downstairs.

….

"Stefan's still asleep." Elena walked down the staircase, her hair pulled into a high ponytail. She was wearing a red camisole and short jean shorts. Her colorful Nike sneakers pulled everything together with its red laces.

"You look…" Damon said before Elena cut him off.

"Stupid? I know… I wanted to wear something comfy," she suggested, looking over her colorful outfit one again.

"Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful," Damon pointed out. Elena gave him a thankful expression as he pulled out a blood bag for her. She took it and drained it as quickly as she could.

"If you're going to get the appropriate training, I think you should feed only on human blood," he told her, smirking. "Also, you don't want all the bunnies in the area to go extinct."

"Fine," Elena shrugged, although she knew Damon was joking with her. "Now that Stefan didn't even keep that promise, I'm afraid that I'll snap someday."

"You worry too much…" Damon placed his strong hands on her shoulders, turning it into a hug from behind. Elena pressed the side of her face to his, closing her eyes in the intensity of the moment.

It truly was romantic. The sun was rising in the horizon, the sky a vivid pink, giving everything in the kitchen a scarlet hue.

Elena raised her right hand, bringing it to the left side of Damon's face, never opening her eyes. They didn't know how long they were standing there, alone in their own little universe, until they sensed Stefan, staring at them with annoyed and skeptical eyes. Elena angrily opened her eyes.

"We'll talk later," Damon said. "We've got places to go. C'mon, Elena."

"Wait," Stefan said, with a wicked smile. "I'll go too."

_**What did you guys think? Stefan REALLY wants Elena back! What do you think of this **__**new**__** Stefan? Thanks! Please review!**_


	4. Part 4

**Chapter 9**

"Hello, Elena, Damon," Yasmine said, shaking their hands, showing them her businesslike smile as she turned to face Stefan, her smile turning flirtatious. "I'm sorry I don't believe that we've met. My name is Yasmine."

"Stefan," he stated indifferently, looking around the deserted beach. "What _exactly _are we doing here?"

Yasmine began to explain everything about Elena's abilities, while Damon grabbed his girlfriend by the hand. "Come on. Let's take a walk."

"We can't…" she trailed off once she noticed Damon was already out of sight. She used her vampire speed to find him and catch up.

"Hey," she said breathlessly, grabbing on to the collar of his black polo shirt, standing high on her toes so that their faces were equal.

"Hey," he chuckled.

"We should probably be getting back to Stefan and Yasmine, you know…"

"She won't miss us. I think she's flirting with my brother. Too bad he doesn't care for her," Damon said.

"Still jealous?" she asked him, moving her hands up to his hair, playing with it.

"No, of course not," Damon replied too quickly. Elena laughed, knowing that he was. She took a step closer to Damon, her face becoming expression. "Don't lie."

And then Damon froze, lost in her fathomless gaze. "I am jealous."

It took Elena a moment to gain her coherency back. Damon looked just as confused. "What the…" she asked, not knowing what to think about the previous incident.

"Umm, I think you just compelled me," he replied, equally confused.

"I didn't _mean _to… wait. Do you think I can compel vampires?"

"Maybe you could compel Stefan to leave us alone," Damon joked.

"You know, we shouldn't be here _talking _about Stefan, when we finally get time away from him," Elena pointed out, looking into Damon's eyes, which resembled the clear blue sea.

"Yes! Couldn't the fool take a hint the first time he interrupted us?"

"He's lost…." Elena trailed off, when Damon suddenly turned around, grabbing her arms from behind, pulling her up onto his back. "What are you doing?" she giggled, her lips now at the portal of his ear. Her arms were wrapped around his neck from behind, and he was supporting her weight by lifting her legs, and then he ran into the water.

"You're right. Don't want to keep Yasmine waiting." The sea water came up to the center of Damon's calf, Elena only feeling mist from where he was lifting her. "Hold on tight," he said, kissing her lips gently, and then they took off, heading to their original spot, Elena laughing helplessly at the rush of speed. The summer blew through her hair, as she held Damon tighter.

After about a minute of running and echoing laughter, the couple came to see Yasmine and Stefan, waiting. "Sorry we left," Elena apologized, hopping off of Damon's shoulders. Stefan rolled his eyes. He was obviously mad. What was new?

"Get a good make out session in?" he asked bitterly. Elena rolled her eyes. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"Yasmine," Damon interrupted, ignoring his brother's rudeness. "I think Elena just…compelled me."

"Yeah, it was weird," Elena added. "I was just talking to him, and I asked him a question… and the next thing I knew he was frozen, answering it honestly."

"Well, that _is _what usually ends up happening when a vampire has a deep conversation with a human," Yasmine explained. "You must have the ability to compel other vampires."

"Sweet," Damon said, encouraging anything that would make Elena stronger, and safer from harm. "Let's practice!"

Elena grinned, twirling her fingers in a strand of hair that was hanging in Damon's face. "You want to be my guinea pig?" she joked.

"Why not?" he said, bringing his lips down to hers, Elena moving her hands from Damon's hair to the sides of his face. He held her waist, pulling her closer as the kiss grew longer and more passionate.

"Do you mind?" Stefan asked, disgusted. Elena took a moment and looked at Stefan with her usual amount of anger and annoyance. She pulled away from Damon, looking at the other two vampires on the beach.

"Okay, I'm ready to work," she said. "Wait…" and then she kissed Damon one more time. It was just a peck, but his heart skipped a beat. Damon loved it when Elena surprised him. "Okay, now I'm ready," she confirmed, grinning. Damon was smirking too, while Stefan just looked infuriated.

**Chapter 10**

"Okay, Damon," Yasmine said, placing a firm hand on Elena's shoulder. "I just want you to look at Elena, alright?"

"I could do that all day," Stefan said from behind.

"We don't need your comments," Elena told him.

"Okay," Damon said, answering Yasmine's original suggestion.

"Fine," Yasmine said, moving over to Elena. "Just look into Damon's eyes, as if you're searching through them for something hiding beneath the surface. You'll feel stronger and stronger as he gets trapped into your gaze. Your instincts should take over from there."

"I'll try…" Elena said, sighing. She stood tall, Damon lowering his head, giving her that knowing smirk that melted her insides. She only paid attention to his eyes, though, looking deep through them, trying to find the end of his fathomless blue orbs.

Before she knew what was happening, Elena felt absolute control over Damon's mind. It was a strange rush when the realization hit her over what she was doing.

She kissed his frozen lips quickly, without thinking, intensifying their compelling bond. She easily ruled out Stefan's annoyed groans. Just when he started kissing her back, she pulled away, afraid to take advantage of him. "Hold me," she demanded, her voice losing all tones. Damon helplessly followed her command, walking behind Elena and wrapping his strong arms around her abdomen. She realized that she was losing her ability to compel him, as she became distracted by the feel of his arms around her. Damon was slowly coming out of the hypnotic suggestion, too.

"Now," Elena said, her voice returning to normal, trying her hardest not to break the compulsion. She tried, though. "Kiss me."

Damon smirked. "No need for compulsion on that one," he said. Obviously, Elena had lost it.

_Oh well, _she thought, turning around to face Damon. Slowly their foreheads were touching, and their lips were coming closer…

"Not in front of me!" Stefan complained, his voice full of fury.

"_Damnit!" _Damon muttered. Elena laughed at his sudden outburst.

"Elena," Yasmine said coolly. "The idea of this was to concentrate."

"I was- at first," she replied. "But then I lost it. Who can concentrate when _he's _holding you?" she said, elbowing Damon playfully. He nodded.

"This makes me sick!" Stefan said.

"Is this all you do nowadays, brother?" Damon asked, lifting his eyebrow. "Complain about everything?"

"I'm only complaining because you _stole _my girlfriend!" he exploded.

"I did not steal her. She chose me."

"We'll see about that…" Stefan said, storming off into the house.

Yasmine was a bit taken back. "He's a little… umm,"

"Emotional?" Elena suggested. She chuckled, but ran back to their house, following Stefan.

"Just a bit," Yasmine agreed, facing Damon. "Anyways, it's amazing how happy she is with you. It's sort of… magical."

Damon laughed. "Elena had a friend named Bonnie. Said that we were soul mates. I don't know if that whole soul mate concept is true, but…"

"It's obvious that she's your other half." Yasmine's gaze went over him. "You're her weakness, aren't you?"

He laughed, a short, awkward laugh. "Yeah. I guess so. She's _my _weakness, that's for sure."

…

"Stefan," Elena sighed, walking to the guest room where he was staying. "We need to talk about this."

"Why? So you can just _dump _me and get on with your life. No thank you!"

"What happened to you?" she asked sincerely.

"I don't…"

"Don't say that you don't know, because I know that you know, you know what I'm saying?"

Stefan laughed halfheartedly at her convoluted sentence. "I gave in to the blood," he said simply. "This is who I am now."

"Stefan," Elena said, placing a hand on his knee. "You're who you _think _you should be. You remind me of Damon when he…"

"Don't finish that sentence."

Elena ignored him. "You remind me of Damon when he didn't know who he was supposed to be… how a vampire is supposed to act."

"I know how to act like a vampire. I'm not an idiot!"

Elena was getting mad. "Look at me, Stefan. Take off this, this… _mask _for two seconds! Let the act go!"

"It's not an act; it's who I am."

"No. It's not. I know who you are, and it's not this person, so don't be this person! Somewhere underneath the surface, the old Stefan is there, desperately trying to come out."

"How would you know that?" he asked, infuriated.

"Because I can read you like a book," she told him. "So please, just talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about. But if you don't mind, I'm going to leave. I've had enough of watching you and my brother all _in love_."

"It hurt you to see us like that?"

"Of course it did!" he exploded "Do you know how often I thought about you in the past five years? And then to come back to… _this! _And even worse, you couldn't care less about me! Am I really that much of a pain to you that you guys can just act all _lovey dovey _in front of me, just so that I'll feel bad for myself?"

"I'm so sorry. We didn't mean to do it, it's just..."

"I know, you _love _each other. Save the speech. I really don't want to hear it." Stefan clutched for his head.

"Stefan. I'm sorry," she apologized, placing a hand on his back.

"And then, when I stopped at your house, there was some lady there. She told me you were _dead! _My God, I had never been more terrified in my life!"

"I feel so bad, Stefan," she told him, giving him a huge hug, wrapping her arms around his shaking shoulders. "I should have at least called you."

"I guess you were right," he whispered in her ear, changing the subject. "What we had was in the past. It's not going to be revived, is it?"

"I don't think so," she said gently, patting his back as she pulled away from the embrace. "Please, don't hate me for this."

He laughed, as if she had said the silliest thing in the world. "I will never hate you, Elena. Ever. No matter what you do to me, there will always be a place in my heart for you."

She smiled at him, a hopeless smile. She would always love Stefan, but not like she loved Damon. Going back to Stefan was out of the question. "I'll always have a place for you, too."

"Can I still consider you a friend?"

"Of course," she replied, grinning. "But please, stop pretending to be someone you're not."

Stefan didn't say anything. He just closed his eyes. "I'll leave tomorrow."

Elena just looked at him.

…

Later that night, Elena was sitting with Damon in their room.

"I'm so tired," she said, getting under the covers, looking at the ceiling. Damon was next, wrapping his masculine arms around her abdomen, burying his face in her soft hair.

"You seem distracted tonight," he said, his lips against the back of her neck. "Care to tell me what happened with Stefan?"

"He's hurt by my decision," she said, grabbing his hand. "But I think we understand each other more now. I'm glad we settledit_._"

"Me too," he whispered, catching her sweet lips with his. "Good night, Elena," he whispered, stroking her hair until she was unconscious in his arms.

"Night D'm'n," she mumbled, before relaxing completely, her head on his chest. A smile played with the corners of Damon's lips before he fell into the darkness of sleep also.

…

Damon woke up the next morning, feeling strange. Empty. He reached his arms over to the other side of the bed.

Elena wasn't there.

He usually sensed her when she was around him, but he couldn't feel her. He felt _hollow _inside. He quickly searched through the house. She wasn't in sight.

Damon rushed into Stefan's room, throwing a picture frame at his brother.

"Hey!" Stefan muttered, half asleep. "Damon? What the…?"

"Elena's missing," Damon said, panic coursing through his body. He had a _bad _feeling about this. Elena was in trouble.

_**Okay… I hope this chapter showed some redeeming qualities in Stefan! Also, Sorry for the cliffhanger! What do you think? Will Damon find Elena in time? **_

_**And yes, I know I'm evil…haha**_


	5. Part 5

**Chapter 11**

Elena slowly opened her eyes. Her head hurt so badly that she couldn't think straight. Everything _burned. _She looked around, realizing that she was in either an apartment or a large hotel room. She didn't even know what color the walls were; her vision was blurred and she could only see shades of blacks and whites.

Elena tried to push herself off of the bed, but the second she tried to move her arms, an overwhelming pain swept throughout her body. She couldn't move. Elena tried to scream, but it only came out as a small cry.

How had she gotten here? Elena tried to figure it out, her mind not cooperating. Every time she thought about something, the memory escaped her as soon as it had arrived. She had never felt weaker in her life.

After a while, a man walked through the doors, a young woman with long, straight hair following. She looked familiar, but Elena couldn't even think of a name. Her eyes wandered throughout the room, unable to concentrate on any one thing.

"…long will she be like this, Gabriel?" Elena caught through her muffled ears. She tried her hardest to concentrate.

"The Vervain should stay in her system for another hour," the man said, moving his hands to Elena's head, turning her face so that she was looking at him through glassy eyes.

"D'mon?" Elena managed to mutter through her pain and confusion.

"He's not here right now, Dear," the man said softly, stroking Elena's cheek, coming back to his original conversation with Yasmine. "We'll probably do it when…"

Elena lost the rest of the talk, her mind wandering to other places.

...

Damon was pacing through the kitchen. Within moments, Stefan was downstairs.

"Oh my god! Where is she?" Damon exploded. He clutched for his head. He had a _terrible _feeling inside.

"Check the beach," Stefan said, already heading out the door. Damon followed, the bad feeling in his stomach growing worse.

Once they reached the sandy shore, it was empty. "Someone took her," Damon stated, following his intuition. "She wouldn't just _leave _without telling me."

"Who would have taken her?" Stefan asked, puzzled.

"We haven't really spoken with anyone except…" Damon's eyes lit up, a light going off in his head. "Yasmine!"

"Yasmine?" Stefan repeated.

"Yes! I had a bad feeling about her from day one. Elena did too!" He wanted to jump around in joy, but Elena was still missing and there was no time to waste.

"How would they get to her? She wasn't invited in!"

"A human doesn't own our house, so she could have just walked in. Look, it doesn't matter right now! We _have _to find them, Stefan. Did Yasmine ever tell you where she was staying?"

"I think…" Stefan replied, unsure. "Follow me."

He ran up ahead, using his vampire speed, Damon behind.

...

Elena was still resting on the bed, in the same position. She was beginning to get _some _strength back. Her sight was cleared, but her head was still fuzzy.

Elena's cluttered thoughts cleared when she heard the window next to her opening. She turned her head slowly, noticing two men climbing through. The first one had brown hair that was slightly curly. Once again, she recognized his face, but couldn't name him.

The next one to enter was a man with darker, straighter hair. He looked like the other man, except _his _eyes were bluer and more worried. He rushed to her side, placing his strong arms behind her back, supporting Elena's weight.

As soon as he touched her, a name came to Elena's mind. "_Damon,_" she whispered. He nodded.

"Hey," he said, lifting her up slowly, so that she was sitting. Elena felt a sudden wave of dizziness and gripped Damon's shirt. "I've got you. Elena, look at me. What happened?"

"Ver…Verv…Vervain," she slurred after a few tries, her eyelids heavy. Her head fell against his shoulder, unable to support its own weight.

"They injected her?" the other asked. And then she remembered his name: _Stefan. _

"Obviously," Damon said, annoyed, turning his attention to Elena. "We're going to get you out of here, okay?"

She just nodded meekly. She scarcely knew who they were. Well, at the moment, Elena barely knew who _she _was. All that she knew was that Damon and Stefan were there to help her.

Just when Elena thought everything was going to be okay, Yasmine walked through the door, a wooden stake in hand.

"It's time," the man next to her said, eyeing Elena devilishly.

**Chapter 12**

"Hello, Elena," the man said, his blonde hair falling carelessly over his forehead. "Won't you introduce us to your…_visitors?" _he said with a smirk, looking at Damon and Stefan. "I'm Gabriel, by the way. You all know Yasmine?"

Elena gently nodded her head, the effort hurting her insides even more. It _killed _Damon to see her in so much pain. "What do you want with Elena?" Stefan asked, conjuring up the words that couldn't escape from Damon's lips.

"It doesn't concern you," Gabriel said.

"Well _damn, _it does!" Damon snapped. "What were you going to do with that stake?"

Yasmine was the one to reply. "Kill her."

Stefan and Damon froze. "Why?" Elena whimpered, trying to turn her body to face them. Damon helped her. She was getting better; she could sit up by herself now.

"Klaus shouldn't have turned you," Gabriel said angrily. "That power was supposed to be _mine!"_

"Is that was this is all about?" Damon asked, his voice bitter. "You're power hungry? You do know that even if you _did _kill her, you're not going to get her power."

"Of course," Yasmine said with a sad smile. "It's all about revenge."

"Revenge?" Stefan repeated, enraged. "You wanted to kill Elena for the sake of _revenge_?" He ran up to Yasmine, holding her by the neck against the wall. She looked _terrified _and could not fight his grip. He now understood _her _purpose. She was a vampire turned by Gabriel, set out to do his dirty work. Typical.

Stefan angrily let go of Yasmine, giving her one last push before Gabriel threw him across the room.

"Well," Gabriel said, taking a step closer to Elena and Damon. "I _was _going to kill _her, _but…"

Damon swallowed as Gabriel lifted Damon off of his feet

"So brave, aren't you?" he said sarcastically, raising the stake.

And then Elena felt it.

All of the fear, all of her pain, all of her coherency, came flooding back just for a moment. Seeing Damon in danger was enough. In the midst of her adrenaline rush, Elena ran to Gabriel, pushing Damon out of the way.

"Run!" she screamed to him, struggling to keep the vampire in her grip.

"Not without you!" Damon shouted.

"Damon, please. Go!" She tried to use her compulsion on him, but it was wasting her energy. She was losing the rush of power…

Gabriel used that to his advantage. He grabbed Elena's shoulders, turning the tables. He was now holding _her _against the wall. With lighting fast movement, he plummeted the stake he had been holding right through Elena's heart.

She immediately fell. Damon shouted every offensive he could possibly think of while running to her. With that, Gabriel and Yasmine disappeared.

Damon's scream was one that Stefan would remember forever.

"_Elena!" _It was a shout of desperation, of loss, and loneliness. Utter loneliness.

Damon's breathing became heavier, more panicked. He grabbed the wood that was sticking out of Elena's chest, and pulled with all of his might. With a loud _crack _the stake came out. He grabbed her lifeless body and disappeared.

...

Damon ended up on the beach, holding a limp Elena in his arms. He sat on the sandy shores and tried everything to save her.

He shook her shoulders, screaming, "Elena, wake up. _Please _wake up! Don't leave me here without you! _Elena!"_

Elena didn't react at all. She was gone. She had left him here, in a world alone. A world without her. A world of pure darkness.

Seeing her like this was the worst thing he could have imagined. "Please wake up, Elena! _I love you!"_

This time, she was not there to say she loved him back. Damon buried her head in Elena's crumpled shirt. When he came back up, he noticed it was wet. He looked up at the sky for rain, but the sun was shining bright.

For the first time in 150 years, Damon Salvatore was crying.

And he didn't care.

He couldn't imagine a life without Elena. Damon's sobs grew louder as the hours passed. He had so many tears, so many feelings that had been bottled up for all these years, and now, he was letting them come, not wanting to fight anymore.

This was worse than when he thought Katherine died, because Elena was his love, his other half. She had left, taking Damon's soul with her.

After long hours of sitting with Elena, Damon was just frozen, in the shock of her death. Once he could do _something_, he instantly reached for her hand, wanting to feel what it was like to hold it one last time.

He sat there like that for a while, when something startled him.

Elena returned the pressure of the hand that was holding hers.

Damon's eyes immediately lit up. He moved his gaze to Elena's face, and lifted his hand to the inside of her wrist. He felt a slow, steady pulse.

After countless minutes, she opened her eyes, eyes that looked so _alive, _eyes that made Damon's un-beating heart move.

He didn't know how. Right now he didn't _care _how. All that he knew was that Elena was back.

**Chapter 13**

Stefan was in the boarding house. It had been a few hours since Damon had disappeared. He _wanted _to look for his brother, but there was a part of him that decided Damon needed to be alone.

Stefan needed to be alone too.

He _loved _Elena. He always would. There was a time when she loved _him _too, more than anything. Their moments together were the highlights of his…life. He couldn't deny that. She was _everything: _beautiful, sweet, and caring.

The memories of Elena flooded into his mind: the first time she kissed him, the night she said she loved him.

The day when she accepted him for the person he is now. The day that she told him they would always be close, even if it meant that they were only friends. It _hurt. _Too much.

He couldn't imagine how Damon was feeling. Because as much as Stefan hated to admit it, Damon loved Elena more than he ever could. His brother really did have a big heart, even if he tried to hide it sometimes. This experience would kill Damon inside. Stefan knew it.

A knock on the door took Stefan out of his painful thoughts.

He opened it, pulling himself together, putting a cocky expression on his face. The mask fell when he realized it was Yasmine.

"Where's Gabriel?" he asked bitterly. "Are you just here to deliver another message? We don't want to hear his…"

Yasmine cut him off, raising her hand, a gesture saying _enough! _She walked inside the house, not bothering to ask. "I killed him," she said simply, turning her attention to the pictures of Damon and Elena that were resting on the coffee table.

"You killed Gabriel?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "How?"

"I staked him. I don't want to spend my time doing his dirty work," she explained angrily, changing the subject. "I came here for a reason, Stefan!"

"What's wrong?" he said, leaning forward.

"When you killed Klaus, what did you stake him with?" Yasmine asked anxiously.

"A stake," Stefan said, his cockiness returning.

Yasmine rolled her eyes, annoyed. "What _kind _of stake?"

Stefan was looking somewhere distant at the moment, thinking hard. "White Ash, I believe. Blessed by a witch," he stated finally.

"_Exactly!" _Yasmine said, only to notice Stefan's confused expression. "If Elena has Klaus's power then she shouldn't _die _from a regular stake! She'd have to die by white ash! _Our _stake wasn't white ash, Stefan!"

He was understanding where this was going, his eyes filling with hope. "You mean, there's a chance Elena's…"

"Alive?" she suggested. Stefan nodded. "Yes, there's a _huge _chance!"

...

Elena felt weightless, but heavy at the same time. Every thought, every inch of her body lapped with lead. But that was okay, because she didn't know what to think about, and she wasn't feeling anything.

The burning pain in her chest stopped for a while, only to be replaced by this strange feeling of absolute confusion.

Elena didn't know how long it was until she felt arms around her, and pressure on her right hand. Puzzled, she tried to squeeze the hand holding hers. She wasn't sure if she actually moved anything, but she tried. Very hard.

After that, Elena's eyes opened to the image of a man, dressed all in black, with sky blue eyes. Those blue eyes examined her face for a minute, and then she was suddenly distracted by an ache between her ribs.

"My chest hurts," she said, reaching for it. He quickly grabbed her hands, bringing them back to her side.

"It's gonna hurt for a while," he told her, as if speaking to a young child.

"Am I dead?" she asked, her brown eyes so big, so vulnerable. So confused.

Damon chuckled. "No, you're not dead. Elena…" he said, holding her face between his hands. "Do you know who I am?" his face was concerned as she looked at his face for a moment. And then she froze for about thirty seconds.

Her mind was working now, the world coming out of slow motion, the man in her arms was…

"Damon!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck, panicked.

"Oh my God!" he said, hugging her back. "Never scare me like that!" Damon buried his face in her hair. Elena clutched his too.

"What happened?" she asked him. "I was in that apartment when…"

"Gabriel staked you."

"How did that happen?" she was puzzled, but Damon only laughed, holding her face in his palms again.

"It doesn't matter! You're _here!" _There was something about him, something _off. _And then she figured it out.

"Damon, _have you been crying?" _She ran her thumb under his eye, feeling the strange hotness. He rolled his eyes and nodded, another tear falling on her finger.

A tear of joy.

_**What did you guys think about this chapter? This story's coming to an end… but don't worry. I'll be making a prequel! But, I've still got a few chapters left…so keep checking back in! Please comment/review!**_

_**Love you all!**_


	6. Part 6

**Chapter 14**

Elena wiped the tear off of Damon's cheek in wonder. Never, in all of her life, had she seen him cry. And now, he was sobbing out of pure happiness. Happiness for her.

It made Elena's heart ache with an overwhelming love.

She ran her fingers through his disheveled hair, looking into his glossy blue eyes. "Damon…" she whispered, just when he couldn't take it any longer. Damon's lips crashed on hers, with an overwhelming hunger. She kissed him too, fighting back her own tears.

Damon was amazed. It was like their first kiss all over again. In a way, this was a first kiss. Their _third_ first kiss to be exact. He considered this as one of them, because Damon never thought he'd be doing this again. The first time was the night in the clearing. The second time was when she remembered everything. And the third time, the one he would always treasure, the day she came back for him. Today.

He grabbed Elena's hair, as she wrapped her arms around Damon's waist. When their kisses grew more passionate he tasted salt. They were both crying now.

Damon didn't know that stuff like this could happen. It was surreal, and even he had to admit, it would have been a rather cheesy scene in a romantic movie.

But he didn't care.

Eventually they had to pull away, lost in the moment. Damon let his fingers run through Elena's hair, top to bottom. "I love you," she whispered, out of breath.

"I love you," he replied, bringing her to his lap. She instinctively cuddled into his arms, her head on his chest.

For the first time in a long while, they could enjoy the sunset.

...

Stefan was still sitting on the couch, Yasmine in the loveseat. They were watching MTV. She told Stefan it was all she watched when she was human, but really Yasmine didn't want Stefan to be alone like this, waiting for his brother to return with news. His face was so hopeful. She hoped that Elena really was okay.

The sky was dark now, the moon shining overhead. Stefan's head fell. "I don't think they're coming back," he stated, his eyes sad.

Yasmine was just about to say something, but the door opened. Damon was standing there, and…

Elena was behind him!

Stefan automatically jumped off of his seat, running towards Elena was fast as he could. He wrapped his arms around her tightly before letting go, looking into those big brown eyes.

"Elena?"

She grinned. Even though her clothes were shredded and blood stained she still looked like an angel. "That's me!"

"You're alive!"

"Yup," Damon said, wrapping arms around her from behind. She looked up at him, with loving eyes. He kissed her lips quickly, just a peck. She chuckled.

No matter how jealous Stefan was, his current joy was overpowering every other feeling. He could do nothing but grin like a fool.

Yasmine was next to walk up to them. Damon's first reaction was to give her a dirty look, pushing Elena behind him. "What is _she _doing here!" he spat.

"I won't hurt you," Yasmine said, in a calm voice. "I killed Gabriel after he…killed you." She looked at Elena's stricken face.

"You always were obsessed with revenge," Damon said bitterly. He wasn't taking any chances. Elena was going to _stay _alive. He wasn't losing her again.

"She's not going to do anything," Stefan said, his voice flat. For some strange reason, Damon believed him.

...

After a few hours of explaining, Yasmine had left, leaving Stefan, Elena, and Damon in the living room.

Elena was sitting in Damon's lap while he played with the curls in her hair. Stefan was sitting on the coffee table.

"I should probably go," Stefan said. "I'm glad I got to see you Elena."

She smiled, but Damon was the one to respond. "Great to see you too, brother," he said sarcastically. Elena giggled, turning around to face Damon.

"Getting jealous about who your brother pays attention to?" she asked Damon coyly. He just rolled his eyes playfully. Elena turned her attention back to Stefan.

"I'm glad we could work things out," she said softly.

"Me too," he said. "I'll see you someday soon, Elena."

"Yes," she agreed. "Soon."

Stefan let a smile come across his features. A _real _smile, not a cocky one. Elena hadn't seen him use that expression all week.

"Goodbye, Damon." With that, he was gone.

...

"What an…intriguing week," Damon said after a while. Elena nodded in agreement.

"You could say that," she commented, stroking his cheek, deciding to change the subject. "I love you."

"As do I," he said, with a smirk. "Words cannot describe how I feel about you. I love you _so _much…"

He was cut off when Elena kissed him, hard. It was a wonderful kiss, and it deepened when he started kissing back. They wished it could last an eternity.

And it could. Because that's all the time they had together. They had an eternity.

After all, they were Damon and Elena. Elena and Damon. Lovers and best friends.

_**The end!**_

_**I'm writing an epilogue so keep checking back in for that! I should post it soon! Thanks! So, I guess you could say that there's one chapter left…but this is the official ending. What do you think? **_


	7. Epilogue

**_Epilogue:_**

**( six months later )**

Elena woke up slowly. The bed felt _empty_. She instinctively reached for the other side of the bed. Damon wasn't there. Then where was he?

"Damon?" she said groggily. Her mental haze cleared when she felt strong hands at her waist, pulling her to the edge of the bed. She turned around to look at his gorgeous face.

He gave her a quick kiss on her forehead, and then his face became hopeful, and someone fearful. He looked directly into Elena's eyes, his expression serious.

And then she realized what position he was in.

Damon was kneeling over the edge of the bed on one knee.

He was already dressed, in black jeans and a tight black shirt. He was reaching in his back pocket. Within the next moment, he was holding a small box in his palms.

Elena's jaw dropped when Damon started speaking after a long pause.. "Today is February 23," he stated, looking at her. "It's also the day of our first kiss. I wanted to do this today, because it February twenty-third was the day I fell in love with you."

Elena's heart overflowed, as Damon tried to open his mouth to say something else. He was at loss for words. Elena was amazed. Damon was flustered!

"I'm not the best with these speeches," he stated. "So, bear with me." He grabbed both of her hands and gazed into her chocolate eyes.

"Elena Gilbert, I will never stop loving you. Every moment we've spent together has been wonderful. When I'm with you, I get this strange giddy feeling in my stomach. And I haven't felt that way…ever. You made me cry, something I haven't done in over a hundred years. Well, I guess there's a first time for everything. And it's my first time saying this…"

He opened the velvet box, exposing a beautiful diamond ring. "Will you marry me?"

It took Elena a moment to register the words in her mind. Once she got over the initial shock of it, she nodded, holding back tears. When she could speak, one word escaped from her lips:

"Yes!"

Damon looked at Elena, who was now crying. "Yes?" he repeated, just wanting to make sure.

"Yes! A million times…Yes!"

Damon took a deep breath, and slipped the ring onto Elena's finger. It was beautiful. A large diamond sat in between two smaller amethyst gems on the silver band.

"The inside is engraved," Damon told Elena, holding onto her hand for another moment. "It says _'Un eternita insieme'. _It means, 'an eternity together'."

She smiled at him, her eyes shining. Elena wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave Damon a long kiss. He grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her out of the bed, so that they were both standing.

Elena held the side of Damon's face as he grabbed the back of her neck. She loved him _so _much. And now, she could truly be his. Mrs. Damon Salvatore.

When the kiss became more passionate, Damon laughed against her lips. "Our fourth first kiss," he mumbled, never letting their lips part.

Elena then pulled away, with a happy, yet confused expression. "What?"

"This is the first time you've kissed me as my fiancé," Damon joked, letting his lips crash upon hers again.

Damon said that the day Elena became a vampire was the first day of forever.

But today was the first day of _their _forever.

The words engraved on Elena's ring were perfect. _Un eternita insieme_

Because that was all the time that they had together. They had an eternity.

_**The end!**_

_**It's over! I might make a sequel someday in the future, but I was thinking of making a prequel about when Elena first met Damon. Would you be interested in that?**_

_**The prequel will be called, "Simplicity". Keep checking back in for that!**_


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